[Closed] Rugby thread 2016/2017

Just did some reading, jesus, that Tom Walkinshaw is a complete **** isn't he? Correction, was. What a shame.

Holley on telly. Ugh! GTFO.

At the time we knew we were screwed, and TBH; the club had changed, you never saw the 1xv and as an amateur, you were never going to play for them. I certainly wasn't going to miss the pro set up. But the amateur Richmond boys were still at the park with us and they couldn't get their heads round how the Premier league were willing to kill them just to reduce the size of the league. Neither club even owned their name after the mergeover.

Oh no that Gypsy hating racist thug has broken the man god!!!

His hands went forward, the ball went forward what more do you want you ****ing bell end?

I have just gone off marler. It's not just losing henson, it's the fact we have mosses on, who is [i]at best[/i] champ level.

Is Varndell as stupid as he looks? Or was that deliberate gamesmanship? 😆

Damn it. So close. Bris look considerably better than worcester though.

Losing bonus point away to Hairyqueens is a good result. Losing Henson was a real blow as his passing is still a step above most and was openning them up. It also would have meant you wouldnt have to suffer Pisi missing touch with at least two pens when under real pressure.

So-so opening weekend for the prem...

Can't believe Gloucs lost that game after building such a commanding lead. Worcs looked awful; a real step back from last season. It looks like all of the off-pitch shenanigans during the off season has affected the team. Bristol look like they'll be competitive and if they can cut out the penalties, the wins will follow.

Talupe Faletau plays 250 000 games for Wales and Dregs then does his knee ligaments in 30 mins at Barf!!

Fortunately I couldnt watch the second half of the wuss game, so in my head they only lost by 3 points and defended brilliantly. What did I miss? 🙂

Lambo is just too unreliable. Willison was shocking.
The pack looked good in the set pieces at least.
I was chatting to Johnny Arr only this week, he was looking forward to the game. Next time I see him I'll have to ask him to stop kicking the ball to Billy V.

Stoner; Lamb is a liability. I can't believe that anyone will sign him.

I cant bring myself to curse him after his winning kick in the playoffs a few years ago. But he really needs to retire.

What's the deal with all the hideous orange and yellow strips teams are sporting this season?

Did Bristol and Worcester get together and both decide that a vomit orange outfit suitable for a Sunday morning wendyball team would be ideal for Premiership Rugby?

It's gold apparently. Our starting shirt isn't much better.

Tell you what, Brizzle aren't going down.

Bristol looked OK but **** me Hairyqueens were bad!! Care was awful, Roberts was running some good lines onto the 9 and miss timed the pass everytime. The lineout was a horror show first half.
Saw a bit of The Blues gane last night they look promising backrow has a nice balance to it with that fat kiwi at 8 Navidi is a decent 6 and Ellis Jenkins a very promising 7.

All of 3 minutes for The Tank Engine to get on the score sheet this season 🙂

Lancaster to Leinster what do people thing of that?
Aled Brew to Bath is an odd one..couldnt get a game for the Dregs!!

Gatland spotted doing a photoshoot in a Lions shirt......

The one I've seen looks like a Wales shirt to me!
[img] [/img]

I read that it was outside a standard life building....

Lancaster to Leinster what do people thing of that?

Dunno. Apparently he's gonna part of their "backroom staff".

If that means something like defence coach or attack co-ordinator then he's probably underqualified. If it means making the tea - he'll probably manage.

THe RFU should have kept him on, working in player development - something he's good at. Clubs have hardly been falling over themselves to hire him as a coach - something he's not good at.

So, thoughts on Cement head as Lions coach then? ....for me it was always going to be him I guess, can't say I'm particularly optimistic about the tour though.

Anyway, predictions for Captain time.

Hovis or AWJ. Hovis the more likely as AWJ isn't a guaranteed starter.

Seen lots of people moaning about Gatlands appointment, who else was there? He isn't stupid and won't pick a predominantly Welsh team, let's remember the last Lions tour to NZ and what a god awful mess that moron Woodward made of it.

I don't think it matters what side the Lions put out they are going to lose 3 - 0

Hovis or AWJ. Hovis the more likely as AWJ isn't a guaranteed starter.

Hovis would have yp up his game a fair amount this season just to tour imo, as will AWJ.

Worst aspect of Cement as coach is Howley as coach of Wales 🙁

Super Gavin Henson ?@UnrealGavHenson
Just got this text:
"Gavnor, got a job for you next Summer. Don't do anything stupid or sign up for any reality TV stuff. I need you. WG x"

AA has it Wales are screwed with Howley in charge 😥

😆 every could an' all that.

Bookies have Hovis as fav, Hartley second fav and AWJ in third.

I'm not sure any of those are cast iron test starters. Warburton and AWJ were very ordinary last season and Hartley is no more than solid, strong set piece but not much else. Mind you other options dont stand out.

For me Hartley is the stand out 2.....although Jamie George could be a good outside shout for that shirt. I was quite impressed with the Welsh 2 (Baldwin?) also.

Hovis.....I reckon he'll be in the back row, although it's a lot more open than 4years ago.

Agree on AWJ......although inexperienced, I'd have Jonny Grey and Itoje ahead....and a few other England players on a par. That second row is going to be very tough to get a starting place in!

Talking up the kiwi biter today - surely not?

I'm interested to see what team comes out this time. As much as I derided Gatland for the last Lions selection, in fairness the Welsh team were outplaying most of the rest of the other nations so should have been in the majority.
Not sure it'll happen this time although I'm not as up to speed on the Irish and Scottish individuals as I could be.

Hartley is no more than solid, strong set piece but not much else

I think he brings more than that - he's an exceptional competitor and leads by example. Besides, the first thing you want from your hooker is to be rock solid in the set piece. He's a nailed on starter as test hooker. Other teams don't like playing against him which says it all.

Gats might decide to go with Warburton as captain if the party has a predominantly English make-up just to get a better balance.

Gatland as the only option really - it'll be interesting to see who he picks as his coaches. The tour schedule looks a bit manic and I can't see anything more than a pasting unless the AB's have a serious loss of form.

Was surprised to see Lancaster go to Leinster - as has been said, I'm not sure he's really a coach plus he comes with a lot of baggage.

The scuttlebutt is that Townsend is, depending on his new job, attack coach. I'm not sure I want him working with the other home nations players! 😮

Same old same old in Scotland for the first games of the season. Glasgow look the real deal ready to compete with anyone, Edinburgh look mince. 🙄

As for Gatland - he may have een the obvious candidate but he is not the man the lions need to beat NZ. too conservative in his approach, no room for mavericks and I bet he picks mainly welsh players. One bonus is he shouldn't take many scots so we shouldn't have our players mucked up by this.

Will the "tokens" be in the coaching staff or on the field or both?

too conservative in his approach, no room for mavericks

Then please explain Matthew Morgan and his place in the Wales squad, or why he picked Shane whenever he could.

Shane was a must pick. We shall see when he makes his selections but my interest in the lions just went down several notches as I simply believe Gatland does not have the ability to coach a team to beat the ABs. Proven by the fact that in the last decade Scotland have beaten SH teams, wales have not despite Wales being a better team over the period. Gatlands tactics do not work against SH teams ( forget the last lions tour - that was a very weak Aus side and we should have beaten them 3 nil and would have with the right team and tactics)

Gatlands tactics do not work against SH teams

Despite being a Lions series winning coach. Come on you need to at least make a stab at basing your opinions on fact..having said that this is a post brexit thread

As I said - that Aus team were very poor and we only just made the series win when it should have been easy.

How many victories do gatlands wales have against SH opposition? How many do scotland have? which is the higher ranked team?

That to me is the telling stat.

Off to Sixways tonight with Jr to watch Wuss tear Gloss apart in the Derby. Ahem.
Here's hoping.

At least that maniac Donncha O'Callaghan is back in the Wuss side. As long as he only costs us 6 or 9 points he's good entertainment value 🙂

Unfortunately Lamb is still at 10, with Tom "I can only run in a straight line" Heathcote on the bench. Oh joys.

Japan doesn't count 😆 ninja (see what I did there) edit oooops 😳

World rankings as end of August have Scotland at 9 Wales at 5 😆

Ha ha is that where Dynamite Donnacha has ended up? Him and Moriarty on the same field, what could possibly go wrong? 😆

Especially as it is not in SH

Stoner - Member
Unfortunately Lamb is still at 10, with Tom "I can only run in a straight line" Heathcote on the bench. Oh joys.

You should complain! Imagine if your national side was so bad he was being touted as the Great White Hope.

How many victories do gatlands wales have against SH opposition? How many do scotland have? which is the higher ranked team?
That to me is the telling stat.

I've been over this at length previously. Wales have many more game v Aus, NZ and SA. Most autumn we have 4 games 3 against the big 3 one of which is outside the window so see's us field a weakened team. We dont get the luxury of building up slowly against weaker opposition and targeting one match. Its due to money. Gatland has a Lions series win and some Grand Slams under his belt not sure who else is better qualified to do the job that wanted it.

Ooooh, forgot about the new pitch here at Sixways. Shiny.

Wonder if Glaws will go through their full repotoir on how to loose a game from a winning position?

So - Edinburgh against the scarlets tonight. Dare I watch? Edinburgh's performance last week was pure mince. Is this going to be another ritual mauling for the MFLs? (metrosexual festival luvvies as our friends in the west call us)

We do have a ten now - Duncan "meatball" Weir ( tovey is injured) but he had a bit of a mare last week. Inexperienced 9 as well with the well groomed SHC out of favour. No Dickenson in the front row but surely we won't get pushed around again. Our new Fijian lock is not yet on the teamsheet so we have the fragile Gilcrest and the luxuriant coiffured Toolis in the boiler room and a lightweight back row with the tackling fool Hardie playing - dunno where Bluto is ( strauss).

Time to hide behind the sofa I think. My hopes for this season dissipated in one game

Wonder if Glaws will go through their full repotoir on how to loose a game from a winning position

Worcester will be playing for a late Gloucester collapse obviously...

Is double agent Hook playing?

Cracking crowd in Edinburgh!!! The fan has bought both his dogs!!

Hook on the bench.

Edinburgh 20 scarlets 6 at the half with a scarlet in the bin! 😯

Dunno is wuss are looking good or Glaws are looking bad!
Fair play to them though, nothing wrong with that try.

Very well worked tries TBH.

But wuss only in the lead thanks to a lot of luck that gloss haven't finished any moves properly despite overlaps. And despite lambs conversion his kicking is dire.

More importantly I'm jeffin' fed up with Sixways inability to serve more than a dozen pints a minute to a crowd of 10k

FFS I'm bringing my own booze next time. Huge queues even during middle of the half. I'm resigned to being sobre when we lose and nobody deserves that. 🙁

Actually I agree having watched a bit more, wuss look the better team in pretty much every area. I'd be disappointed if they lose this.

Oh shit Teo concussed.

Agree ref the beer serving at Sixways, although upstairs in the south stand is ok.

Healy talking shit, Alfie has to walk for that.

Another gloss tackler leading with his head. Hopefully he can walk himself to the docs. Oof. Sitting up now

Edinburgh win 😯 shome mishtake shrly

Edinburgh win. shome mishtake shrly

It's because you're back. 😀

😳

Oh shit Teo concussed.

By his own arm guard?

Some lovely rugby from Cardiff and an away win over Munster.

By his own arm guard?

😆

I know I shouldn't laugh at someone being injured, but this makes I larf!

That prick heathcote nearly cost us the game with that stupid punt. We'll take the points but we should have won that.

Not sure about Teo but Alfie put in a superb elbow onto a glaws players jaw. Caught him right on the button, poor bloke dropped like a sack.
Wuss would have won had he not done that, but if I were glaws I'd feel a bit hard done by for some of those pens. people were diving into rucks all day, and he randomly blows one 2m from the line?
Same **** who ****ed bris over last week.

Good result for Sale last night. get well vibes to TJ and thuggery by Luamanu on Beaumont rightly receives Red. fortress AJ

Wonder where that Wuss player learnt to use his elbows?

Wonder where that Wuss player learnt to use his elbows?

He was a bit of a hero when he was at bris, then bath turned him into a thug 😉

Yeah I saw it on the btsport app thingy I got woth my ee phone. Just reminded me of Teo!
St Gav still injured for tomorrow which is a shame. Ian Evans back though.

Blow the final whistle Craig! 7-0 Argentina 🙂

Wuss need to find a bit of killer instinct - Gloucs were there for the taking even with 14 men. They were poo and started to loose there heads (Heinz getting penalised for backchat etc). They payed a fair bit better than last week which is good. Gloucs were awful....so inaccurate despite creating opportunities. Humphrey's must be well cheesed off.

I think the fact that Alfie moved the ball into his other hand before leading with his elbow was his undoing listening to the commentary.

Quinn's were pretty poor last night and it sounds like a citing is coming their way.

Argentina 13 - 7 up at the mo!

What a great half of rugby!

THe Argies might be losing but you can see the blueprint of how to compete with the ABs.

You've got to go at them in every facet of the game.

But then they switch it on..

THe Argies might be losing but you can see the blueprint of how to compete with the ABs.
You've got to go at them in every facet of the game

Thanks for this insight. I'll inform Cementhead. So the Lions will need to be great at attacking out wide with pace, in close with pace, outwide with power, in close with power, defence in close and out wide, turnovers, ruck, maul, lineout, scrum....anything I missed?

St Gav still injured for tomorrow which is a shame. Ian Evans back though.